In the February 2025 Wild Ones webinar on “Bees Beyond Honey, Understanding Native and Managed Pollinators” hosted by Sara Ressing, Wild Ones Education and Program Coordinator, we were introduced to three pollinator experts: USGS Wildlife biologist Sam Droege, Crown Bees founder Dave Hunter, and Associate Director of the Pollinator Partnership Lora Morandin. Sam, Dave, and […] Continue reading "“Bees Beyond Honey” with Sam Droege"
Collecting, cleaning, sharing, and sowing native seeds are keystone activities of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay. Collecting Seeds From the time the spring ephemerals start to drop their seeds in spring until the last of the fall bloomers’ seeds have ripened, our chapter members were armed with organza bags, paper bags, markers, and clippers in hand […] Continue reading "Show Your Love with Native Seeds"
What is a seed library? A seed library is a community resource providing free vegetable, flower and herb seeds to anyone who wants to sow and grow them. The Berkeley Ecology Center opened the first seed library in 1999, cleverly known as the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL). Many seed libraries are housed in […] Continue reading "Seed Libraries"
Wild Ones promotes native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaboration. Our educational efforts include tabling at local festivals and events, producing webinars and videos that we post on our YouTube channel, and posting gardening ideas, research and the latest native plant policy news on social media. Last fall, Marlene Smith, President Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, […] Continue reading "Library Display Case for Education"
While doing research for our upcoming Seed College presentation at the end of the month, I came across a new-to-me term, “seed sitting,” which is a catchy term for sowing seeds outside in winter, in pots covered with wire mesh. The concept is not new, but the terminology is catchy. I first heard the term […] Continue reading "Seed Sitting"
With a new year ahead of us, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay would like to reflect on some of the accomplishments of our chapter and our members. In our inaugural year as a fully chartered chapter, we hit the ground running and are proud to have shared our mission and passion for native plants through various […] Continue reading "Media and Awards – 2024"
Winter sowing is an economical way to germinate native plants in the middle of winter. With just a few materials that you can probably find around your house, it’s a fun and easy activity for all ages. As the winter solstice approaches and we all turn our attention to winter sowing, I wanted to share […] Continue reading "Deeply Rooted in Winter Sowing"
At our annual membership meeting on November 20, members of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay celebrated our inaugural year with a Year in Review video by chapter vice-president, Bill Smith. But first we covered the annual chapter business. Chapter election results – Secretary Sue Williams reported that our appointed board of directors were elected by unanimous […] Continue reading "2024 Year in Review"
Support Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay this Giving Tuesday! 2024 was a busy year for Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay. To support our mission of native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community, we accomplished the following:16,500+ free native seedlings distributed9000+ sq ft of native habitat supported2000+ native plants grown from seed & distributed100+ native trees […] Continue reading "Help Us Grow"
Since January, members of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay have been busy propagating native plants at the USGS Bee Lab in Laurel, Maryland, under the guidance of Sam Droege and Sydney Shumar. We didn’t know what to expect when we signed up for this amazing opportunity, and it has proven to be a great experience that […] Continue reading "Native Plant Propagation at the USGS Bee Lab"